The Struggle of the Stone
by The Slytherin Devoid
Summary: Whilst pondering over his parents Ted finds something they all thought was lost. He reunites with his parents and realises there was more to the ressurection stone then he once thought. No Pairings, except a side of RL/NT


**AN**:Hey Guys, It's been awhile. I haven't posted anything in over a year, and now that I've started university, I don't know what the updating schedule will be like but hopefully I'll get some new stuff up soon. This is my longest fic I've ever published and I'm not so sure about it, so some feed back would be cool. Read and review and let me know, now on with the story :D

**Disclaimer: ** I don't own Hp :'(

_The Struggle With the Stone_

He bent down, impatiently yanking his boot laces together in a barely stable knot, as he did so locks of his long turquoise fringe fell in front of his eyes. Hiding the sparkling amber from sight, straightening up again he leant against an old tree '_oak probably'_ he thought. The night was a morose one, watching the full moon rise into the ominous darkness of the night sky.

It was always the same every month. He would become inconsolable at the urge of the moon pulling at him, he wouldn't, couldn't sleep and every little creak or knock was enough to set him on edge. So usually to save his dorm mates the torture of having to room with him during those nights, he tended to walk around the school grounds hoping the cool night air would sooth the anxious bubbling in his gut. It never did, he knew why. His father was a werewolf. It was the blood inherited from him that sent the fiery urge of uneasiness through him, during this time of the month, perhaps things would've been easier if he had someone to suffer the pain with. Yet the devils' prose of infortune had been cast and his parents had been dead for seventeen years. As still and cold as the day they buried them not that he had much memory of that day considering at the time he was little more than a month old.

At times he hated them for abandoning him, for leaving him to grow up parentless like a pathetic orphan. When those thoughts stuck however he also felt the weight of an enormous guilt bearing down on his shoulders, he hated himself for thinking things like that, his parents were brave and true and in the end they died fighting for what they believed in. Fighting so that he, their son could live in a world not crippled by the terror and horror of the war yet a world where he could relish in the warmth of peace and love, even if his parents weren't the ones to give him that love.

Worn out by this weary thoughts Ted let out a sigh wrapping his Gryffindor scarf tighter around his neck amusing himself at how the colour clashed terribly against the bright yellow gilding of his robes. He didn't mind however, he was a metamorphous, clashing colours was his speciality. Also considering the scarf had belonged to his father it was one of those keepsakes he wanted to hold onto forever and not let go, as if it would share with him some miniscule detail of his father's school life, details he was so desperate to know. Through the lines of weaves stitches and wool that brought the scarf to life.

Fiddling with a stray piece of thread from his father's scarf his thoughts were drawn back to his mother. From all the stories Harry had told him and pictures he had seen it seemed to him that they were complete opposites and yet they were very much in love. His mother was young, bubbling with enthusiasm in her youth, joy tending to ooze from every one of her pores. She was dreadfully clumsy too he had been told, she was vibrant and beautiful enjoying as much as could in life from rocking wizard bands like the weird sisters which gave her an edge of punk randomness that she seemed to exploit with her Metamorphmagus talents, morphing her hair to outrageous styles. He could relate to that however when you're a Metamorphmagus the ability to shock others with outrageous hair colours is something akin to a duty. Besides the main reason he did it, was more of a tribute to his mother than anything.

His father on the other hand was completely different perhaps he thought that's what attracted them in the first place. His father was a calm individual warm and kind most of the time, but at the wrong moments the shadow of the wolf could be caught on his face and he became cold and deadly. Harry told him about his father's period as a professor at Hogwarts and how he became the best defence professor they had known, demonstrating his patience, tolerance and knowledge. The thought made him smile, a small burst of warmth filling his gut, he was glad his father was remembered for more than his status as a werewolf it was the way things should be. He was also dutifully informed about Remus' craving for chocolate, his penchant for old books, libraries and good English tea. Where his mother was slightly '_out there'_ with her styling choices it would seem his father was more conservative with his, not that Teddy minded. He realised the contrast of his parents, the ripped jeans and punk shirts to the soft sweater vests, V cuts and coffee coloured slacks. He felt as if they were a part of him, their quirks and preferences mixing together to create him, but he supposed that's what happens when you have a baby with somebody.

Harry had begrudgingly filled him in about that night at Grimmauld Place, the proposition Remus had offered them, the furious words that were spout and the hex that went flying. His father had planned on abandoning them both. Harry begged for him not to see it that way, inside Teddy was bursting with rage, his father had planned on abandoning them as quick as the click of his fingers, he knew rationally however that his father wasn't really to blame, he could only imagine the fear that coursed through him as he found out that his wife was pregnant, holding his spawn inside her body. He could live with his father's actions and almost understand them if he looked at it like that. His father would've been beside himself with worry, the anxious ignorance gnawing at his insides. The uncertainty of whether his son would turn out like him, inherit his lycanthropy be forced just as he was to be subjected to incredible pain every month, and even if he wasn't there was a part of him screaming that his son would be ostracised from society for being remotely related to the man, from being spawn from his blood. He could understand why his father ran away, he was no coward as Harry had put it, he faced his fear in the end. In teddy's book that made him braver than anyone he had ever known. His parents despite their differences had been happy and in life that truly is all that matters he thought then slightly amused added '_well maybe to a Hufflepuff anyway'_.

Pulling himself from his thoughts, he decided to wander around the forest some more. The fire of uneasiness had dissipated slightly from within leaving him feeling strangely cold. Taking a step forward, he stumbled slightly as he tripped over his limp shoelace, it coming undone as he pondered over his dead parents. With more care this time he bent , trying to lace together strongly into a double knot hoping that it would keep them from undoing themselves again that night. Feeling the cold filling him, he pulled his worn school robe closer to his body. He probably should've purchased a new robe as his grandmother had insisted he do, yet he loved owning items with a worn, shabby disposition. It made him feel closer to his father in a stupid sort of a way; his grandmother seemed to notice the reason and to his pleasure stopped insisting he throw them out. It was a similar case to his dirt brown hiking boots, a few more trips and the soul would rip out of them entirely, yet he didn't mind. The boots were comfortable, well as comfortable as they could be with the cold leaking in through his toes. It was just one of those quirks he had that he felt drew him closer to his deceased father and because of that he would never give it up. Much the same to how he liked to keep his hair a bright turquoise blue, deciding that pink was a tad too feminine for his taste.

Once the lace had been fixed for the second time, he went back to his wandering. He knew the path well already, due to the numerous visits he had made during the fool moon. Sick of the same surrounding he recklessly, without thinking strode away from the path and into the dense bush of the forest. He knew he was in centaur territory so he would remain relatively unharmed. After brushing through scrub of the trees he found himself in an odd clearing and short of breath. He collapsed against a boulder quite strategically placed. He probably shouldn't have strayed from the path especially in a place like the forbidden forest yet he found himself out of reach of caring. the unfamiliar scenery gave him a sense of adventure along with a small pang of loneliness. He enjoyed the solitary, however at this time of month it allowed him to gather his thoughts and think clearly about things, which he had been doing a lot of tonight.

Breathing in the smell of the forest, he struck his leg out to stretch it and felt a rock fly a few feet away from the force. He would have dismissed the rock immediately if it wasn't for the odd ghostly sheen exerted from it as the moon light shone upon it. Curiosity filled his being as he crept closer towards the dubious stone. Fleetingly gazing around to check that he was truly alone, he picked the stone up and held it in his large palm. He stared at it intently as if he suspected something from it. His staring achieved nothing as the stone sat there at the centre of his palm glowing slightly in the moonlight. Suddenly it hit him, his eyes widening in unprecedented shock, he knew what the stone was, he had heard Harry tell the story and its various twisted versions in the history books. It was the resurrection stone. One of the great deathly hallows. Harry had left it to be lost in the forest, many had searched for it, yet never found it, it was lost as Harry had wanted in the depths of the Forbidden Forest, '_until now that is'_ Ted thought a surge of unidentifiable emotion rose up in him.

Something that felt like excitement and yet again there was a sense of wariness, of warning. He shouldn't be here, holding this; it was supposed to be lost. He knew what this stone was capable of and yet in three quite turns of his fingers he could be reunited with his parents once more. He could feel what it might've been like to have actually known them in the flesh, well not quite. Could he really let such an opportunity go to waste, to let it literally slip through his fingers, despite the ominous warnings? Who was he kidding his parents were seconds away there was nobody who would expect him to put the stone down and walk away.

Reasoning with himself he wondered what harm could come from one meeting, after that of course he'd leave the stone behind and never return. Not like he'd probably be able to find the place anyway, even if he did want to, it was better this way, safer this way. Before he decided to back out and run back to the castle and forever regret it, he turned the stone thrice, quickly beneath his nimble fingers…

A dull glow diffused out in front of him as the figures of his deceased parents appeared. He couldn't quite believe it to be true; surely nothing could be capable of a power as great as this. The figures solidified slightly not enough to look properly alive but instead hanging somewhere between the translucency of a ghost and the opaque hardness of the living. Stumbling to his feet Teddy stared at the oddity in front of him.

"Mum?"

"Dad?"

He breathed.

They stood in front of him, scarcely real. His father, Remus looked strangely similar to his younger self, his hair was fuller and the greyness that had been threating to overtake it had dissipated. He was still dressed in his cliché V cut sweater and café coloured slacks. Teddy just couldn't believe it. He stared up into his face, less filled with worry lines and smiled unsurely at him. He brought his gaze over to his mother, her hair a bright bubble-gum pink, she looked exactly the same as she always had been, he thought. Still as bright and vibrant as ever she was in death. Her rugged black robes hiding her Weird Sisters t-shirt, from view. He stared into her welcoming eyes. She nodded at him. It was as if they were the personification of his inability to speak.

"You're really here"

Suddenly he wanted to sob, to drop to his knees and cry at the unfairness in the world, the unfairness that separated them all at such a young age. They stared at each other for a moment before Remus began to step towards him, until they were mere feet apart. Remus raised his hand as if to place it on his son's shoulder, but drew back just as they were to touch seemingly remembering it wasn't possible. Seconds later, Dora appeared at her Husband's side taking his out of place hand within her own, entwining their fingers.

"We've missed you so much" his mother's sweet gentle tone soaked the air.

Ted couldn't help it as he dropped to his head letting the tears run riot down his cheeks, crying silently.

"It's okay, son" Remus spoke his gravelly yet gentle voice luring Ted's head back up.

"There's no shame in crying" Ted nodded spastically, feeling his tears drip of his nose.

"I… I've just missed you both like you wouldn't believe"

Remus nodded a soft smile on his lips.  
"We'll never leave you Ted"

Teddy looked at him, his explanation of how it was impossible for them to stay together on the tip of his tongue, Remus as if he knowing what he was going to say cut him off

"We'll never leave you Teddy… not really" his voice was soft like butter on a burn.  
"We'll always be here" Dora soothed bringing her semi solid hand above his chest.

"Right here, inside of you".

Ted looked at them both straight in the eyes.

"I'll never forget you" his voice breaking slightly, as he brought a shaking hand to the shadow the one Tonks rested above his heart.

The moment was broken seconds later as the couple stepped back, clearing his throat Remus asked. "How are you Ted, what's life like are you happy?" he spoke the last part almost forlornly.

Teddy nodded brightly a grin spreading across his features. "Yeah, I am Dad, as you can probably tell your fear was misplaced, he explained as he pointed to the full moon,

Remus looked slightly sheepish as Dora bent over to kiss his cheek "you came back in the end, that's all that matters".

Ted decided to continue trying not to make his dead father feel anymore awkward. "I…I live with grandma, but I'm over at Harry's a lot anyway, his kids are a real laugh… you guys may have passed on, but I do have a family here."

Remus and Dora nodded pleased. "And you're a Gryffindor" his father asked proudly gesturing to his scarf,

Ted almost laughed at him "sorry Dad" he mused pulling the yellow gilding of his robes out for his father's curious view.

Dora smiled joyously at him, "Hufflepuff, surely Remus, he is my son too after all"

Remus rolled his eyes at her "why the scarf then?" he asked as if it were the most obvious question in the world.

Ted blushed under his gaze "well actually it's yours" his answer was met with silence so he continued "I like…uh, I like having it near,"

Remus grinned, "Quite alright my boy you've got to have some Gryffindor colours in there somewhere,"

Ted immediately morphed his hair into varying stripes of golden yellow and scarlet red, true Gryffindor colours. Remus' chuckle was music to his ears appeasing the cool burning in his gut. The acceptance and love he felt by his father's actions, spoke louder than any words ever could. Just the fact that he was able to pull a chuckle from his father when he knew he'd never hear the sound again, meant so much to him.

"You should be ashamed, Teddy" his mother teased in her jovial tone, "Blasphemy, really the Gryffindor's have already got you wrapped around their little fingers"

Ted smiled at her returning his hair to the usual turquoise. "So Hufflepuff, then?" Remus asked, Ted nodded proud to be in his mother's house "and a seventh year, my how you've grown" Remus commented smiling softly.

Abruptly Dora cut in "what does your real face look like?" Teddy glanced at her with surprise on his face, and then a sense of unease fell across it,

"You don't have to show us you know" Remus comforted sensing his unease, "I know it's not an easy subject for Metamorphmagi" his unease disappeared at his father's voice.

They had not be there to see him grow up, they did not know what he looked like, what his ambitions in life were, a part of Teddy felt like he owed them this. Maybe it was only a small thing but he was sure any insight into his life would be just as priceless as any insight he could find into theirs. Nodding he let his morph drop away piece by piece. His face a mixture of high sharp cheek bones and a strong square jaw rounded slightly leaving him with something somewhat heart shaped. His eyes stayed the same bright amber as his father, whilst his nose and mouth shrank a little. His full turquoise locks grew shorter and decidedly browner, a soothing light honey brown, the type Harry once remarked would attract all the bees one day. Once his morph had dropped completely he took a step back, letting his gaze fall to the forest floor.

Somebody gasped; he thought it sounded like his mother, soft and melodic. Finding his deeply buried Gryffindor courage he glanced up at his deceased parents. His father was seemingly in awe drinking in his locks.

"You just like Remus" she stuttered a smile.

He smiled shyly at her "Yeah… well except the face… that's all yours".

Remus seemed to have lost the ability of speech. Feeling somewhat awkward under their combined gaze he asked quietly if he could change back. Remus nodded,

"That's an incredible gift you possess" his father breathed,

Ted continued to nod unsure of what to say. They fell again into awkward silence, his parents still staring at him. It was as if their gaze wasn't just staring at his physical being but right through him, right into his soul. Suddenly he felt the need to explain himself more, all of his dreams and ambitions to these figures in front of his eyes. He began with a quick swallowing of the dryness in his mouth.

"when… when I was young I use to want to be an Auror just like Harry, just like you mum, it wasn't until I grew more, that I realised all that dream had even been was nothing more than misplaced expectations. I didn't really want to be an Auror it was just an occupation everybody seemed to glorify, due to the bravery and skill needed to succeed in it. Don't get me wrong being an Auror is great brilliant even, but I wanted to bring hope to people and help them in different ways rather than through the destruction of another life, despite how immoral and misguided that life may be"

His father nodded at him silently asking him to continue,

"I want to help people for the main reason of helping them alone. Not for any type of glorification but for that warm frothy feeling you get when you know somebody is doing better because of what you've done. The careers advisor seemed a little disappointed at my philosophy. Coming from a family broken by war and me being born in the depths of it, I guess he expected I'd want to continue the age of fighting, but that's exactly it. I've had enough fighting, duelling, war and death to last a life time. He did however offer me options, you know things like healing or teaching, but it all seems so ordinary. Can we really make a difference to the world through these things?" he sighed heavy and tired.

Surprisingly, Remus was grinning at him "what" he asked,

"Nothing, you just sound like a fifty year old, Ted do you really not think what I did at Hogwarts helped enough individuals, changed their lives a little, you don't need to be a hero to make a difference. I know that whatever profession you dive into, you'll make a difference to somebody's life, and that difference is what will count in the end. Don't count yourself out before you've even begun"

Ted nodded thoughtfully "I'm glad you're here Dad I'm glad your both here. Harry doesn't have the answers I need; sometimes I think he's still trying to figure out what the question is he should be asking".

"Harry's had a harder life than many, sometimes it takes people awhile to find what it is their looking for and sometimes they find things they weren't looking for along the way. In time they may find themselves realising it was the one thing they should have been searching for in the first place. Nobody has the answers, Life is there to be lived, experience it, test it with a youthful enthusiasm and maybe you'll find something your content with…" Remus drifted out of his philosophical musings.

Quietly teddy mumbled guiltily "I'm content now,"

Remus turned his gaze against Ted in something akin to sternness, "You may be content Ted, but it's not right, we don't belong here,"

Remus grasped his wife's hand tighter, wishing she could provide him with an upsurge of bravery. Dora remained silent listening only to their musings,

"We belong up there" he commented pointing painfully at the sky that was slowly starting to grow lighter.

Teddy's whole body trembled "why, why couldn't you have stayed, why did you have to be ripped from me?"

He knew the question was childish but he couldn't help it, why was it they had died? Who decided he should grow as an orphan? The entire thing was one incident of unfairness after the next. His tears burned tracks down his face before he could stop them, embarrassment bled into his being, hot and unforgiving. Remus looked at him sadly. Teddy's shame grew as Remus looked him over.

"Teddy you know that's a question nobody has the answer to, all we must do is accept it and move on despite the pull of despair we feel inside. It's futile to ask you also know why we can't stay here it's not right , we're not meant to live like that, you're not meant to live like that" he explained the dangerous topic gently.

Teddy exploded "but you're not living at all Dad, you're dead both of you,"

Remus was quiet, "The principle still applies ted" he continued despite Teddy's dry sobs and futile explanations.

"It shouldn't matter Ted, especially not to you. You know where we are, where we always are, where we'll always be, As long as you never forget".

Remus' hand ghosted close to his chest again before his gaze turned skyward watching the moon set and the luscious pink hues bled into the darkness of the night.

"We should be going Ted" the words slipped from his lips quiet, unobtrusive but none the less damaging.

They coursed fear to burn into his being, setting his body alight.

"You're… you're leaving me" he whispered,

"We never did… we'll never leave you" his mother replied her voice set.

Remus nodded in agreement "it's getting light, Ted, you'll be wanted in the castle soon. It's our time to go."

Ted couldn't help but feel his emotions were being unreasonable but he couldn't bear for his parents to leave him, not physically at least.

Remus reading his thoughts spoke, "We're nothing but the illusion of what's inside of you, my Son… drop the stone… it's time".

His fingers clenched tightly around the stone with the mere thought of parting with it. _They_ were right the stone was capable of great and damaging things; he would have to let it go unless he wanted to be corrupted by its inner power. His parent's had said they'd always be there; perhaps they were with him from the very beginning without him really knowing it.

"You'll… you'll stay with me… in here" he pressed a heavy hand to his chest his fingers clenching the mattered material of his shirt.

"Forever my boy, we are a part of you" Remus reminded him, as Dora then added "We never left, not really."

For the third time that night both of his parents were standing less than a foot away from him, their entwined hands resting above his heart…

A moment of silence passed in that time, Ted felt more complete than he had ever remembered feeling.

Finally his father broke it "Drop the stone, Ted… it's time".

With one last look Teddy stared at his parents drinking them in. Then with a sigh of resolution he let the stone slip nimbly from his frozen fingers, following it as it rolled to a stop atop of the bracken on the forest floor.

His parents had disappeared from in front of his face. Despite the feeling of completion he had from knowing his parents were always with him, he still felt incredibly empty in this moment. Struggling with the balance of the living and the dead, without really knowing why he fell to the ground and cried for all his worth.

The emptiness appeased as more of his tears fell to the ground. After a short while he found he couldn't cry anymore. He had nothing left. The light of the sky moved him, with its bright colours. He knew his father was right; he did need to return to the castle. Standing, he wrapped his Gryffindor scarf tighter, enclosing his neck.

He stood mere steps away from where the stone fell. It was like a slight pulse of electricity running through his body, he could still feel it. It was still calling out to him, begging him to pick it up and give it a turn. Fear grew once more inside him as it untethered all his rational thoughts within. He felt tempted to obey it. Bending down he poked at the ethereal stone with his red tipped fingers. It rocked slightly at being unbalanced. The temptation was almost unbearable as he stretched out to pull the stone into his hand…

As his fingers skimmed the surface of the stone, he remembered his Father's voice. Suddenly he ripped them back as if burned. He didn't need it. It wasn't right. Straightening up, he turned his back on the stone. He knew he had to disappear before temptation got the better of him. Without a single glance back at that wondrous stone, he sprinted into the density of the forest vegetation.

The sound of blood pounded through his ears echoing the state of his heart. He breathed shallowly turning through the last of the Forbidden Forest and into the grounds of Hogwarts.

All was quiet and calm in the morning. He took another step and found himself flat on his face, the dewy grass rising up to greet him. He turned over and glared at his untied boot lace. It was good to know that despite it all, there were things that would never change.

**AN: **Thanks for reading, I'm not sure how well this came out nor am I that pleased with the ending so please let me know what you think in a review.

Reviews are love :D


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